Scientific Name : Hyophorbe verschaffeltii (W.Bull ex J.Dix) H.Wendl
Common Name : Spindle Palm, Palmiste Marron
Chinese Name : 棍棒椰子
Family : ARECACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origin | Endemic to Rodrigues, a remote little island in the Indian Ocean. Coupled with Mauritius, Réunion and numerous volcanic remnants, they are classified into the “Mascarene Islands”. |
|---|---|
| Ecology |
Hyophorbe is a monophyletic genus of 5 species which are all endemic to the Mascarene Islands. The palms are cultivated globally for their excellent ornamental appearances. In spite of the dramatic increase of individuals in the world, their wild populations are severely threatened. For example, the wild Spindle Palm is currently confined to Rodrigues. It has suffered from a drastic change since the past 150 years, shifting from the early description of which the island nourished notably abundant Spindle Palm (Balfour, 1879), to which the wild population is reduced to only 19 individuals (IUCN, 2021). Currently, Spindle Palm is rated as a critically endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. You may wonder, what catastrophic events did the islands and palms experience? Rolling back the clock to centuries before, the Mascarene Islands were first landed by the Arab and Portuguese sailors in the 16th centuries, and soon inhabited recurrently by different exploitors. The exploiters, after landing on the islands, burnt the forests and harvested woods to attain their needs of resources; they introduced feral animals e.g. goats and rabbits into the islands. The animal intruders trampled every hectare of the island and foraged greens, including palm’s leaves, and inevitably drove Hyophorbe to the edge of extinction. This sounded an alarm to conservation. In the late 20th centuries, the exterminations of goats and rabbits were taken; this short-term practice effectively recovers part of the species e.g. Bottle Palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis), while Spindle Palm still remains declining. Conservation biologists are currently endeavouring in regenerating the population by planting mass Spindle Palm in Rodrigues. We hope their struggle can turn this tragic phenomenon into a beautiful conservation success story. |
| Meanings of name | The generic name “Hyophorbe” is a blend of “hyo” and “phorb”, the Greek words that means “pig” and “feed”, alluding to which the palm can be used for feeding pigs. The specific epithet “verschaffeltii” commemorates Ambroise Verschaffelt (1825-1886), a Belgian horticulturist who was obsessed with the nursery of palms in Belgium. Since the trunk is robust and akin to a spindle, it is also named as “Spindle Palm”. |
| Spindle Palm and Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (Bottle Palm) | In spite of their similar traits, two palms can be unmistakably diagnosed by their sizes and trunk appearances. Spindle Palm is relatively taller, with the attainable height to 9 m, while Bottle Palm is generally limited to 3 m. Moreover, the trunk of Spindle Palm is only covered with eminent rings of leaf scars, while the trunk of Bottle Palm is covered with both leaf scar rings and longitudinal cracks. |
| Growing habit | Evergreen tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 9 m. |
| Stem | Trunk grey, smooth, gradually widened from the base to the middle and narrowed near the crownshaft, with dense notable leaf scars. |
| Leaves | Pinnate, clustered at the apex of stem, pinnae 50 to 70 pairs, alternate. Petiole bases clustered into crownsheath. Pinnae narrowly lanceolate, reduplicate, apex acuminate, base truncate. |
| Flower | Monoecious, male and female flowers clustered on different inflorescences. Spikes large, branched, sprouting from the base of crownsheath. Flowers fragrant, creamy yellow to orange-red. Peduncles with clear rings of scars after prophylls dropped. |
| Fruit | Drupe cylindrical to oblong, purple-brown to black when ripe. |
| Flowering period | / |
| Fruiting period | / |
Scientific name above is based on Plant of the World Online website: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:667456-1
Scientific names from other databases
― GBIF : Hyophorbe verschaffeltii H.Wendl.